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J o u r n a l

It's been scarily nearly two years since I visited my families roots. The closest I will get to what my family know as home and the island of Barbados has kept a tender hold on my heart strings since visiting.

We started on the South coast but moved up to the West side of the island to stay in what I can only describe as real Barbados. Full of locals and the entire atmosphere and vibe was much more slow paced and restful on this side of the island. No surf to be had on the west coast, we enjoyed snorkelling and identifying some of the world most deadliest fish - stone fish and the cutest puffer fish just a few metres from the beach. We explored in caves, visited botanical gardens and dined on the best beaches.

Just Grilling restaurant was the tastiest local food to eat and we found ourselves there on numerous occasions. Jerk chicken with rice and a light caesar salad was a repeat offender.....

If you like a slow relaxing life, Barbados is for you. If you want to stay in real Barbados, Four Seasons Europia is perfect. You each get a small home all to yourselves with a veranda to sit out on an dine with your loved one. The only way to describe staying at the Europia - it's like staying at home. It felt like home. It felt right. It was quiet and a place I will truly never forget. The night chirping of the brown tree frogs were a welcome meditational song to send you off to sleep.

Barbados is filled with incredible animals, stunning clear waters, magnificent marine life, I am still a little bit in love with the way the island made me feel. At night, when the rain started the ground would come to life with cane toads jumping about after hiding from the constant 30˚c blistering heat. One moment you would be soaked and a moment later heat has returned. I fashioned a bird bath out of a fallen palm tree which all the birds enjoyed. You will find crabs in land, far from the sea living in the ground? As well as slugs bigger than a big banana and huge shells accommodating the giant snails you find everywhere. Monkeys can be seen as well as mango trees and coconut trees all over the island.

Lying in a hammock may well be one of my favourite things to do. Wonderful memories and I may have to return one day - I am sure I will.

These coconut fell in the night after a storm. When we woke up, a cable had fallen onto the tree still sparking, setting the palm tree alight.